Nashville's 17 best albums of 2017: Jason Isbell, Kesha, Chris Stapleton and more

Pop star Kesha released the first single "Praying" from her upcoming third album on July 6, 2017. The album, "Rainbow," is set to release on August 11, and this is the first music she'll release through RCA Records since her set of lawsuits with her former producer Dr. Luke.
Wochit

Brad Paisley performs at Nissan Stadium on the final day of CMA Fest 2017, on Sunday, June 11, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn.
(Photo11: Larry McCormack / Tennessean.com)

Country music juggernauts, punk rockers, master songwriters and one MacArthur Fellow share space on our list of the best music to come out of Nashville in 2017.

While they hail from all corners of Music City – these acts all made distinct statements in a tumultuous year.

In no particular order, these are our 17 favorite Nashville-made albums of the year.

Alison Krauss – 'Windy City'

Krauss' first solo album in nearly 18 years was worth the wait. The lush and timeless-sounding "Windy City," produced by Buddy Cannon, found Krauss — one of the finest voices of any generation — covering classics by Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, the Osborne Brothers and more. —Juli Thanki

Kesha – 'Rainbow'

Breaking free of the control (and alleged abuse) of her former producer, Kesha Sebert showed the world that she was very much in charge of her rise from the Nashville suburbs to pop stardom.

“Rainbow,” her first album in five years, captures a phenomenal vocalist, fearless performer and distinct creative force. She leaves her mark on funky barnburners (“Woman”), emotionally bare ballads (“Praying”) and nods to her country music pedigree. —Dave Paulson

Little Big Town — 'The Breaker'

Soaring harmonies, infectious melodies and meaningful lyrics are hallmarks of Little Big Town’s "The Breaker." The collection is lighthearted yet haunting — the type of songs that never age and carry listeners on a journey through life’s peaks and valleys with every play. —Cindy Watts

Daddy Issues – 'Deep Dream'

This grunge-pop trio has set the bar high with their debut LP.

"Deep Dream," released on local indie label Infinity Cat, is built for singalongs. Songs like "In Your Head" and "Mosquito Bite" are filled with crunchy guitars and irresistible hooks. Behind the catchy choruses, though, the band addresses serious issues: the wrenching "I'm Not" was written about sexual assault and abuse. —Juli Thanki

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – 'The Nashville Sound'

Isbell's sixth solo album (the third produced by Dave Cobb) is another stunner in his increasingly long chain of stellar records.

Backed by his top-notch band the 400 Unit, the singer-songwriter delivers some of his finest work to date. "If We Were Vampires" is a tender meditation on love and mortality, and on "White Man's World" he addresses racial and gender inequality while also delivering an important reminder in these turbulent times: "You're still breathing, it's not too late / We're all carrying one big burden, sharing one fate." — Juli Thanki

Margo Price – 'All American Made'

“You can’t write a song without nothing to say,” sings Margo Price on her sophomore solo album. She’s paraphrasing her friend Willie Nelson, and it’s a line she takes to heart throughout “All American Made.”

The Nashville country artist and her band are in top form on this musically limber effort. Price digs back to her upbringing on her family farm – and examines her current life as a rising star – to create striking songs of loss, struggle and perseverance. —Dave Paulson

Chris Stapleton’s “From A Room: Volume One” carried the stigma of being the most anticipated country release of the first half of the year – and won album of the year at the CMA Awards in November. Stapleton joked “From A Room: Volume Two” which was released in December was the “leftovers.” Both are rich with the textures of Stapleton’s vocals that make him one of country music’s most beloved artists, classic country sounds and thoughtful articulate lyrics about love, life and pain. —Cindy Watts

Lee Ann Womack – 'The Lonely, the Lonesome and the Gone'

Twenty years after the release of her debut album, Womack is better than ever.

"The Lonely the Lonesome and the Gone" is an intoxicating mix of country, gospel and soul. Most of the songs on the record, like "Shine on Rainy Day" (written by Brent Cobb and Andrew Combs) and "Hollywood" (which Womack wrote with Waylon Payne and Adam Wright) are heartbreakers, but Womack sounds as though she's never had more fun. —Juli Thanki

Luke Bryan — 'What Makes You Country'

Ten years into his professional country career, “What Makes You Country” is Bryan’s most satisfying, well-rounded album to date. While the album still has the lighthearted party songs for which Bryan is known, “What Makes You Country” is his most country collection in years and his most mature album to date.

“Most People are Good” is a brave and thoughtful breath of positivity in a continuously dark news cycle. “Land of a Million Songs” is Bryan’s emotional ode to songwriting that will touch anyone who has ever loved, known or wanted to be a musician. —Cindy Watts

Paramore – 'After Laughter'

13 years after they roared out of Franklin, Tenn. with a ferocious pop-punk sound, Paramore is redefined on the band’s fifth album. As they turn down the volume, frontwoman Hayley Wiliams, drummer Josh Farro and multi-instrumentalist Taylor York are all grown up — and more than a little bummed out, as a thread of disillusionment carries through tunes like “Fake Happy” and “Idle Worship.”

But there’s also a spring in their step, as they take unlikely inspiration from Talking Heads and Paul Simon’s “Graceland” to craft their own brand of up-tempo, worldly pop.

—Dave Paulson

Rhiannon Giddens – 'Freedom Highway'

Giddens' second solo album is one of 2017's most powerful, and important, releases. On "Freedom Highway," the classically trained opera singer turned roots music great (and "Nashville" cast member) takes an unflinching look at some of the darkest moments in American history.

"Julie" and album opener "At the Purchaser's Option" were inspired by slave narratives and a 19th century newspaper advertisement, respectively, and Giddens delivers a moving rendition of "Birmingham Sunday," about the 1963 church bombing that left four young girls dead.

This fall, Giddens was named a MacArthur Fellow. The fellowship, also known as the "genius grant," a prestigious honor given to those who have shown "extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits." We can't wait to see where she goes from here. —Juli Thanki

Kip Moore — 'Slowheart'

Kip Moore made a name for himself in country music with No. 1 hit “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck.” Then he spent the next five years proving he’s deeper than a song about beer and skinny-dipping. “Slowheart,” Moore’s sexy, introspective third album, is more Bruce Springsteen than George Strait. It’s anthemic, raw, gritty and packed with the strongest songwriting of Georgia native’s career. For proof, check out "Guitar Man." —Cindy Watts

R.LUM.R – 'Afterimage'

Since moving to town two years ago, Reggie Williams has been at the forefront of a new, exciting and distinctly millennial wave of music-makers in Nashville – whether you want to call it R&B, pop, soul or something else. And it’s clicked with listeners around the world: breakout song “Frustrated” has more than 28 million streams on Spotify.

On his debut EP “Afterimage,” Williams reinforces the strengths that made “Frustrated” a viral hit: his expressive falsetto croon and a musical approach that combines tried-and-true songcraft with a sleek, modern electronic sound. –Dave Paulson

Brad Paisley — 'Love and War'

Home to his hopeful “Today,” his bittersweet “Last Time for Everything” and the one-two knockout punch of his Johnny Cash co-penned “Gold All Over the Ground” and his Bill Anderson duet “Dying to See Her,” Paisley’s “Love and War” is a glistening example of how to weave traditional and contemporary threads into a cohesive project endearing it to a wide range of audiences. —Cindy Watts

Bully – 'Losing'

The sophomore effort from this Nashville indie-rock band is a tremendous leap forward in songwriting and sonics – and both sides are helmed by frontwoman Alicia Bognanno.

Comparisons to classic alt-rock groups have dogged this band since its founding in 2013 (and signing to Seattle’s Sub Pop Records doesn’t help matters.)

Still, on “Losing,” Bognanno and co. make a restless rock sound that’s truly their own – and one that very much fits in a turbulent 2017. —Dave Paulson

Blake Shelton — 'Texoma Shore'

In a single-driven world, the poignant, nostalgic and country as they come “I Lived It” is worth the price of five full albums. But people who just listen to that song on "Texoma Shore" will miss out on the Alabama-esque “Turnin’ Me On” and the bright and bouncy “Money.” —Cindy Watts

Jessica Lea Mayfield — 'Sorry Is Gone'

No surprise that an album she’s described as “about me taking my life back” contains some of the most powerful and emotionally potent work of Jessica Lea Mayfield’s career. The 28-year-old is quietly one of Music City’s most unique voices, and on “Sorry Is Gone,” her stark songwriting and hypnotic croon manages to pierce right through tidal waves of electric guitar. –Dave Paulson